Quilting groups unite to aid victims of apartment blaze
Volunteers donate more than two dozen items to those displaced
Crafty quilters have joined forces to help dozens of people displaced by the April fire that tore through Twin Pines Manor Apartments in Sunnyvale.
Volunteers with two quilting groups have donated more than two dozen hand-sewn quilts to families affected by the blaze.
The April 15 fire caused smoke, heat and water damage to the apartments, making them uninhabitable. It left 70 families — 169 people in all — suddenly without homes. Many families lost their possessions, including bedding.
Immediately after the fire, the city of Sunnyvale and Sunnyvale Community Services mobilized to house and assist the displaced families, with help from the Valley Transportation Authority, Santa Clara County and the American Red Cross.
The city and community’s quick response inspired Michelle Sullivan of Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association to work with the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild to create more than 30 quilts.
“I knew that when you lose your home to a fire, you don’t have anything. Even if you do, it all smells like smoke,” Sullivan said. “I was inspired by the fact that the city actually was being so helpful and (Marie Bernard of Sunnyvale Community Services) and a lot of other nonprofits were stepping up and helping people relocate. I thought, ‘Well shoot, there’s got to be something cool that normal people can do.’ ”
In the 90 days since the fire, Sunnyvale Community Services says that 61 of the 70 families have already found permanent new homes. An additional seven families are in transitional housing actively seeking permanent homes, and two families are staying in hotels while receiving ongoing assistance in their search for a new home.
At the end of May, several of the quilters delivered their first collection of 10 quilts to Sunnyvale Community Services. On July 12 they returned with an additional 20.
Each quilt took approximately 20 to 30 hours to make. Both groups received donated pieces of completed quilts as well as fabric from as far away as the East Coast.
“They were all stitched with love,” said Julianne Simone from the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association. “I just happened to be traveling by (Twin Pines) when the fire was happening. It was like, these are our neighbors, and what’s going to happen to them?”
Marie Barlahan, director of emergency services at Sunnyvale Community Services, said the families have been overjoyed to receive the warm bed coverings.
“This has just brought tears to their eyes to know there are people who did this and put in all this work. They were very appreciative of it, and they were just touched by the amount of people that took the time to do this for them,” Barlahan said. “This is going to be one of the first new things they are going to bring into their new homes.”